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L. EPS'IEIN. SECONDARY VOLTAIG BATTLM'.A

No. 606,526. Patented June 28, 1898.

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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Patented' J 888888888888 LUDIVIG EPSTEIN, OF. LONDON, ENGLAND.

vsecon DARY VOLT/ uc BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 606,526, dated J une 28, 1898.

, Application filed December 28, 1895. Serial No. 573,649. (No model.) Patented in France December 21, 1894,1To. 11,414; in England December 21, 1895, No. 24,516; in Belgium December 21, 1895, No. 118,982; in Canada January 15. 1896,1105 51,045, and in Italy January 23, 189,6, LXXIX, 181, and XXX, 40,405;

To all wtom it may concern: Be itknown that I, LUDWIG EPSTEIN, a citizen of Austria, residing at 28 Victoria street, Westminster, London, England, have' invented new and useful Improvements in Secondary Voltaic Batteries, (for which I have obtained Letters Patent in Great Britain, dated December 21, 1895, No. 24,516; in Belgium, dated December 21, 1895, No. 118,982; in France, dated December 2l, 1894, No. 11,414; in Italy, dated January 23, 1896, Vol. LXXIX, No. 181, and Vol. XXX, No.` 40,405, and in Canada, dated January 15, 1896, No. 51,0450 of which the follewing is a specification.

This invention relates to secondary voltaic battery-cells, and has for its object to provide new and improved means for obtaining great electrical energy from comparatively small Weight and to guard against short-circuiting by fragments of the active material and loss of mercu ry from amalgamated plates. This object is accomplished in the manner and by the means hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in Which--- Figures 1 and 2 are vertical sections on planes at right'angles to each other, showing a secondary cgil embodying my, invention. Fig. 3 is a plan view with the cover removed; and Fig. et is a perspective view,'on an enlarged scale, showingoneform of the casin gs and troughs employed.

In describing my invention the terms used are with reference to the apparatus when set up for use as a battery.

The letter A indicates the negative plates, which m ay be of any known constru ction,h aving peroxid of lead--for example, as at A'- as active material, and B indicates the positive plates, which might be separate plates or may consist, as shown, of portions of asingle sheet bent in zigzag form. In either case the positive plates B are of known kind, consisting of copper wire gauze electrolytically coated with zinc and mercury amalgam. Around each of the negative plates A,at some distance from their surfaces, is formed a porous casing C of non-conductin g material, such as is not acted on by the exciting liquid. The 5o two perforated` sheets of ebonite or the like inclosing fabric between them. The casing extends some' distance below the plate A, which'is supported on wedge-shaped bars D, and the sides of the casing have their lower parts, which extend `down beyond the plate A, made without perforation, there being thus formed under each negative plate a quiescent chamber E, which receives and retains such fragments of active material as may drop offthe plate. The fragments which may thus fall into the chamber E being quite cut off by the non-conducting wall of the casing C from contact with the neighboring positive plates cannot effect short-circuiting. The lower vedges of the positive plates B are held Yin troughs F, of non-conductin g material which receive such of the mercury as may, during the action yof `the battery separate itself from the zinc amalgam and descend along the surface of the plates. When the battery is charged, zinc is deposited on the positive plates, andV the mercury then ascends from the troughs F to combine in amalgam with the deposited zinc.

The plates Aand B, casings C, and troughs F are all carried on an open framing Gi, under which is mounted a revolving agitator I-I. During the action of the battery this agitator, being caused by any convenient motor to revolve either continuously or from time to time, produces currents of the exciting liquid whichtend tofrender it uniform throughout the cell. c For an electrolyte I use sulfateof-zinc solution or dilute sulfuric acid.

In charging the battery the peroxid offlead of the negative plates is brought to the highest degree of-oxidation, while zinc is deposited upon the positive plates. In -discharging the battery the action is reversed, the negative plates giving off oxygen and zinc being dissolved off the positive plates.

forations except in their lower portions, substantially as described.

- In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciiication, in the presence of 15 two subscribing witnesses, this 16th day of December, A. D. 1895.

LUDWIG Ersri'rN.

Witnesses:

OLIVER DUvALL, JNO. P. M. ,MILLARD 

